Yoga and hiking in the Algarve – holidays in Portugal

Bizarre rock formations, hidden bays and seemingly endless sandy beaches; I had these images in my head when we traveled to the Algarve for the first time at the end of October. On our 5-day exploration tour, it quickly became apparent that this is only an excerpt of the scenic diversity of Portugal’s southernmost province. In the Algarve you will also find mystical cork oak forests, species-rich floodplain landscapes with flamingo colonies and nice coastal towns. In short, it is a region that has a lot to offer and is an ideal destination to beat the local temperatures, especially in late summer or spring.

5 Days Yoga and Hiking in the Algarve

The impulse to travel to the Algarve came from Oliver Kulter, who offers yoga holidays in the south of Portugal together with his wife Steffi. The two were born in Germany and originally worked in other professions. With the realization of Yoganature, they have fulfilled a dream.

Oliver contacted me at the beginning of 2017 with the question if we would like to participate in one of the yoga and hiking weeks. At that time, my schedule for 2017 was already full to the brim and it was already clear that we would spend the first half of 2018 traveling outside of Europe. But because the combination of yoga and hiking in the Algarve appealed to me, I agreed with Oliver that we would keep a time slot free for a trip to the Algarve at the end of October 2018.

Day 1: Arrival in Lagoa

No sooner said than done. On October 20, 2018, the time had come. Yoganature’s Yoga & Hiking Weeks last a full week (Saturday to Saturday). Even though Oliver assured me in advance (and where he is right) that the seven days are worth it in any case, as we will “hike” a different area of the Algarve every day, we “only” got a taste of it for five days due to time constraints. We spent the remaining days of the week until our return flight on Sunday evening hiking, but in another region of Portugal, which had also been on my bucket list for a long time.

For this reason, we decided not to travel via Faro (the nearest airport), but to drive from Lisbon to the Algarve with a rental car. The day of arrival does not include any other program items apart from the arrival and dinner at the resort (if booked). If I hadn’t had a mishap on the outbound flight, this would have been a very relaxed day thanks to an early morning flight – the perfect way to get in the mood for yoga. But I actually managed to forget my notebook in the seat pocket of the plane. Glorios! Unfortunately, we didn’t land directly at a gate, but far out. Although I realized my mistake on the bus and headed directly for the Lost&Found counter at Lisbon airport, hops and malt were lost. After about 1.5 hours of waiting, during which my notebook remained untraceable, we went to the police station at the airport and reported my notebook as stolen. The police report is particularly important for reporting a claim to the insurance company. Since I have all my data stored in cloud services, the loss is annoying, but fortunately not a disaster in terms of data.

After these formalities were taken care of (and my notebook remained nowhere to be found), we started our road trip south. The distance from Lisbon Airport to Lagao in the Algarve is around 270 kilometres. Since motorway driving is relatively more expensive in Portugal, the generously developed motorways outside the direct catchment area of larger cities are almost empty. So we make good progress and reach the south coast shortly after noon. My mood lifts when we reach the Bon Bon restaurant In the Algarve there are some highly endowed restaurants. These include the Michelin-starred Bon Bon in Carvoeiro. The excellent lunch menu costs 35 euros for 3 courses and 47.50 euros for 4 courses – highly recommended!

After this lunch, I had more or less reconciled with the day. It is only 10 kilometres from the restaurant to our accommodation. The basis for the yoga and hiking weeks is the Suites Alba Resort & Spa. The special thing about the beautifully designed hotel complex is its secluded location directly in front of one of the most famous photo subjects of the rocky Algarve – the Arco de Albandeira. Like the other participants of the Yoga & Hiking Week, we stay in a spacious apartment with a living and cooking area as well as two bedrooms. As a rule, two people share an apartment.

After a short walk along the cliffs, it’s time for dinner. During the five days here at the Suites Alba Resort & Spa, we enjoy half board. If you book the Yoga & Hiking Week, you are free to choose whether you want to book half board or prefer to decide individually every day where you want to eat – or whether you want to cook for yourself.

Tag 2: Klippenwanderung zur Our Lady of the Rock

The next morning I start with a sunrise swim in the hotel’s infinity pool. Afterwards we try our way through the breakfast buffet. Since the program with Oliver and Steffi starts at 9:00 a.m., nothing stands in the way of a comfortable start to the day.

After we have already met seven group groups at dinner the night before, we see for the first time at the welcome round at 9:00 a.m. who we are dealing with this week. The group is a colourful mix. We are a total of 13 participants from Germany, Switzerland and Austria – 2 of them men. Some have yoga experience, others are yoga newbies like us. After our intensive yoga afternoon at Chetzeron at the beginning of October, I am now looking forward to practicing yoga for several days in a row. I hope to get into the flow of movement better this way. Even though I haven’t routinely incorporated yoga into my everyday life so far, I feel that the exercises are good for my body in every yoga class.

But before we dedicate ourselves to yoga, we start the week together with a cliff hike. To ensure that we don’t lose our energy stores on the way, Steffi and Oliver provide us with fine hiking snacks. Afterwards we walk together along the cliffs to the imposingly situated chapel of Nossa Senhora da Rocha.

The two-hour hike flies by. Steffi and Oliver tell all kinds of interesting facts about the fauna and flora of the rocky Algarve and we chat with the other group participants on the way. Back at the resort, after a short break, we start the first yoga session in the beautifully situated pavilion with sea view. The introduction is gentle with a focus on grounding physical exercises. Since Oliver and Steffi teach together, they have time to review our positions and correct them if necessary. Especially as a “greenhorn”, I find this very helpful. In no time two hours are over and I’m already looking forward to the continuation the next day.

Day 3: Yoga on the beach

As written in the introduction, Yoganature wants to combine yoga journeys with nature experiences. During the Yoga & Hiking Weeks, the focus is on being outdoors and experiencing nature. After exploring the immediate surroundings of the resort on foot on the first day, we drive to Alvor by car today. All those who do not have their own rental car can travel with either Steffi or Oliver. We follow with our own car, as we would like to explore one or the other sight of the coast individually. We park our car above the mouth of the Ria de Alvor and walk from here to the extensive Praia do Alvor Poente. Each of us carries our yoga mat with us, because the weather allows for a yoga session on the beach today.

If the weather and temperatures are right, Steffi and Oliver integrate the yoga classes directly into the hike. In terms of the content and course of yoga classes, I miss the comparison to other teachers. What I appreciate about Steffi and Oliver’s lessons is that they explain all the exercises in a comprehensible way and start the lessons with conscious breathing exercises (pranayama). This helps me to concentrate on the subsequent physical exercises (asanas).

After two hours, we pack up our mats and walk back to the port of Alvor on the boardwalk between the estuary and the sandy beach. Here we treat ourselves to a coffee break together before everyone individually designs the rest of the afternoon. Some go straight back to the resort, others want to shop first and we plan a detour to the Farol da Ponta da Piedade. We combine the trip there with a detour to see the flamingos, which live in part of this mudflat landscape of the Ria de Alvor.

The rock formations at Ponta da Piedade are impressive, but I think the Arco de Albandeira right in front of our hotel is almost nicer – and above all quieter! At the end of October, it felt like there weren’t a lot of tourists on the road and yet there were two or three spots where we wondered where all these people came from. One of these hotspots is the Ponta da Piedade. At sunset we are back at our resort and enjoy the beautiful evening atmosphere without crowds above the hidden Praia do Barranquinho.

Day 4: Hiking to the second highest peak in the Algarve

Tuesday will start overcast. But that doesn’t stop Steffi and Oliver from introducing us to the sun salutations on an idyllically situated wooden platform on the Arade River. Here, too, the timing is perfect: just in time for the final relaxation, the first drops fall from the sky.

Fortunately, the subsequent hike to the second highest peak of the Serra de Monchique Mountains – the Picota – does not fall into the water. The rain can’t get through. The tour to Picota passes through areas that have been affected by forest fires this summer. Steffi and Oliver thought long and hard about whether they wanted to implement this hike despite the visible destruction and came to the conclusion: Yes, that’s exactly why it should be carried out. It is important to them to show us the diverse and sometimes fragile ecosystem of the Algarve with all its facets. This also includes the monoculture of eucalyptus trees as an “accelerant” and, in contrast, the “fireproof” wood of the cork oaks. Despite the visible destruction, it is equally impressive how quickly the plant world pulls itself together and the forest floor is already covered with lush green ferns again. The only thing we don’t have is the beautiful view from the summit of Picota, as the clouds hang low and block the view of the coast.

On the way back, we will make a stop in Silves. The main attraction of the small town is the castle of the same name, which was built in the 11th century by Arab Almoravids and is now classified as a National Monument.

Afterwards we drive to the Praia da Rocha near Portimão. In my opinion, a wonderful stretch of beach to admire the sunset.

Day 5: Highlight Western Algarve

As a rule, Steffi and Oliver structure the Yoga & Hiking Weeks in such a way that the most impressive landscapes follow at the end (if the weather is right). Since we only take part in four out of six hikes, Oliver prefers the highlight of the week. On Wednesday we will go to the Western Algarve, where we will hike through pine forests to the popular surfer beach Praia da Bordeira and hold another yoga lesson integrated directly into the hike on the beach in the most beautiful sunshine. Wow, from A to Z a brilliant day! The whole thing is topped off by a late lunch at the “Microbar” restaurant in Carrapateira, just above Praia da Bordeira. Steffi and Oliver recommended this stop to us and since we can feel their enthusiasm so beautifully, we all agreed. And they didn’t exaggerate – the vegetarian Bombay burger is so delicious!

Since Carrapateira is only about thirty kilometers away from the southwestern point of continental Europe, we do not miss the opportunity to head for the Cabo de São Vicente at sunset. On the way, we will make a stop at the Castelejo Viewpoint. As we discover, the viewpoint is a popular pitch for wild campers – but the view is also really gigantic.

I couldn’t have imagined a better end to our 5-day stay in the Algarve. Even if I regret at this very moment that we don’t follow the week to the end. Personally, I really liked Yoganature’s program. The yoga classes we took part in had more focus on relaxation and calm, concentrated body movements and less on the “sporty” part. In combination with the hikes, however, this was perfect in my opinion. The week is suitable for all those who like to spend time outdoors in nature and also appreciate freedom on group trips.

Practical tips for your holiday in the Algarve

• The prices for the Yoga & Hiking Week start at 799 euros, depending on the season. The price includes 7 nights with breakfast at the Suites Alba Resort & Spa, 6 guided hikes, 6×2 yoga lessons, yoga equipment and free use of the spa. For single use of the apartments, there is a surcharge.
• The trips are carried out seasonally in late summer and spring – the next dates are posted on the Yoganature website.
• The nearest airport is Faro. Edelweiss flies directly to Faro seasonally (March to November). Alternatively, you can reach Faro with Swiss and/or TAP with a change in Lisbon (or by rental car from Lisbon).
• If you want to be mobile and want to explore other sights in addition to the daily program of Yoganature, then a rental car is worthwhile. The Suites Alba Resort & Spa is decentralised and there are no major shops within walking distance.
• Steffi and Oliver know the region like the back of their hand and will be happy to advise you on activities outside of the program and also have good restaurant tips in store.
• With half board at the Suites Alba Resort & Spa, you can choose between two starters, three main courses (fish, meat, vegetarian) and two desserts. The food is good, although I don’t want to eat 7 days half board with a week on site. You can also dine excellently à la carte in the restaurant.
• The Suites Alba Resort & Spa also has a small wellness area and offers various treatments.
• Some of the hikes mentioned in this article are described in detail in the Rother hiking guide “Algarve”.

Note: our stay in the Algarve was supported by Yoganature as well as the Suites Alba Resorts & Spa. Thank you very much for this. As always, all impressions and opinions are ours.